It is probably the most phenomenal and wondrous time of the year, with lots of parties to be hosted, toasting the marshmallows and loads of opportunity drive oneself crazy by juggling it all.
According to a report issued by the American Psychological Association Survey, the Americans have been reporting that their stress levels are likely to increase during the holiday season rather than decreasing. Well, here is the good news, Research reports by the Harvard Educational institution has shown that ‘Deep Breathing’ is one of the best and most effective ways that can help in combating stress and also, it is probably one of the easiest exercises.
Breathing Right to Relax
Though breathing is simple, free, and can be done anywhere, it has to be done in the right way to get that extra energy boost. According to Patrick McKeown, who is the author of The Oxygen Advantage, breathing more is “exactly the wrong thing to do.” Although it does sound strange, over-breathing can actually reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood. According to McKeown, the primary issue is not the lack of oxygen, but that not enough amount of oxygen is being released into the organs and the tissues, including the brain. This results in exhaustion and sluggishness, which might also lead to skipping workouts and missing the deadlines.
There are a lot of different breathing techniques which can be tried at home. However, in the tech savvy world that currently exists, Fitbit 2 is probably the best tracker which will not just let the user walk through a breathing exercise session, but it will also create one based on the current heart rate of the user.
Here is How to Relax Using Fitbit Charge 2
According to an article published by Fitbit on its blog, in order to activate a breathing session that will be guided by the Fitbit Charge 2, the following steps have to be followed. The article also suggests that it is better if a physician is consulted by the users who have any pre-existing respiratory condition or any cardiac complications and also that extra caution should be taken by such people.
- To begin with, the users will first have to press the button that is present on the side of the tracker until a Relax screen is displayed.
- The device will default the duration of the session to two minutes. However, this time can be increased up to five minutes by just tapping on the screen.
- When the user is ready to begin with the exercise session, they will have to press and hold the button that is present on the side of the Fitbit device.
- After this, the user will be asked to follow the directions that will keep displaying on the screen. There will be instructions which will ask the user to remain still and to take slow, deep breaths for almost 30 – 40 seconds. The Fitbit tracker will use this calibration time in order to measure the heart rate variability of the user. This is important since there will be changes in beat-to-beat heart rate. This current heart rate can then be used to create a personalized session of the guided deep breathing exercise.
- Once the calibration has been completed, the Fitbit Charge 2 will prompt the user to begin with the session. The user will have to match their breathing pattern with the animated circle, which grows on inhaling and shrinks upon exhaling.
There will be sparkles appearing on the screen when the user is in sync with the pattern. The user can close their eyes and let the gentle vibrations of the device guide them through their deep breathing session. In case the user cannot feel the vibrations from the device, they will have to Update the Tracker’s firmware.
- Once the session has been completed, the user will have to press the button on the side to return back to the clock.
- If the user starts feeling weak, dizzy, or uncomfortable in the course of the session, they are advised to sit down and start breathing normally. Though the exercise session cannot be paused, the user will have to press and hold the side button to end the session and can return to it later at any point of time. If the symptoms persist even upon resting, Fitbit says it is better to consult a doctor.
Fitbit had mentioned in it blog that all the notifications during the guided breathing exercise sessions will be disabled automatically unless the user has specifically set an alarm that will vibrate at the specified time. So, by choosing “Relax”, the user will no more have to worry about interrupted sessions.